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Safety to the 4th degree Physicians no fans of fireworks BY PAUL SINGLEY REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Fireworks can bring people together to admire a rainbow of colors illuminating a dark sky on a warm summer evening. And they can help Americans feel a sense of patriotism around July Fourth.

But for thousands of people each year, backyard fireworks displays can lead to emergency room visits — and in some cases can be fatal.

On average, 200 people are treated at emergency rooms every day for fireworks-related injuries in the 30 days around the Fourth of July, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

In 2012, the most recent statistics available, six people were killed by professional-grade, homemade or banned firework devices, and some 8,700 Americans were treated in U.S. emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries, the commission reports. More than 5,000 of those incidents occurred between June 22 and July 22, 2012.

While other states have loosened their fireworks laws, Connecticut maintains a hard line that all fireworks, except sparklers, are illegal.

Lt. J. Paul Vance, spokesman for Connecticut State Police, said sparklers are fireworks that don't explode, don't fly and contain less than 100 grams of pyrotechnic mixture. Anything other than that cannot be bought or used legally in the state of Connecticut.

Those in violation of the law can be charged with a crime, and those who cause an explosion by use of fireworks that results in injuries and/or property damage can be charged with a felony, state police warn.

Connecticut is one of 20 states that allow only sparklers, while 11 others do not restrict any fireworks. Five states — Arkansas, Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island — outlaw all fireworks without a permit.

Locally, there have been several major incidents in recent years involving fireworks. In 2003, a 38-year-old Thomaston man died after being hit in the chest with a firework. And in 2004, a three-family house on Scott Street in Naugatuck caught fire when a legal sparkler that a child set off inside the building burned out of control.

The Naugatuck story illustrates the fact that even though sparkers are legal in Connecticut, they can still be dangerous if not used properly.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that sparklers can burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or as hot as a blow torch. That is enough to cause third-degree burns, according to the National Fire Prevention Safety Association, which is opposed to consumer use of fireworks. That organization and the consumer safety commission recommend that young children never be allowed to play with or ignite fireworks.

Naugatuck Fire Chief Ken Hanks said legal fireworks should always be used properly, and he pointed to the incident in Southington this past week where 18-year-old Eric Morelli was charged with manslaughter and reckless endangerment after throwing a firecracker inside an apartment bedroom. That led to a fire, which killed 19-year-old Kristen Milano.

While that incident is rare, it's not so rare to have an accident because of a firecracker, Hanks said.

"We use legal fireworks because my kids like them on the Fourth," he said. "We always have a bucket of water nearby, and we're extra cautious, making sure no combustibles are near us."

Dr. David Goldwag, emergency room director at Waterbury Hospital, also does not recommend that people light their own fireworks. He said serious injury can occur when something goes wrong with explosives.

They are 100 percent preventable accidents, as well, he said.

"Fireworks contain gunpowder, so they are basically like little weapons," he said. "And when you mix alcohol with weaponry, it can be bad."

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GeorgeK wrote on Jun 25, 2014 11:48 PM:

" I guess saying Connecticut needs to loosen up a bit with these insane anti-fireworks laws will fall on deaf ears. Like anything else, even professional grade fireworks can be used responsibly and safely.

Again, this year, droves of Connecticut's citizens will flock to nearby states to pick up their fix and bring them back to enjoy them with nary a problem or injury.

Like everything else in this state, fireworks accidents are largely blown out of proportion to scare the masses. Note two out of three above incidents occurred by lighting a pyrotechnic device inside a house. Some people just don't have any common sense. "

Anyhow, since this confused state of Connecticut banned fireworks in the mid 50's (which nobody complied with) then brought some of it back in the 2000's, what was that all about?Just like the front license plate elimination in the 80's, then brought back years later. I thing Alfred E. Newman runs Connecticut. They should call this the "What Me Worry" state. "

" Yea, Al Cap. Not even sure why we celebrate it. Did they celebrate the Federalist paper date after the Constitution was signed. I guess October 26 is a poor time for a holiday when we killed the Constitution with the Patriot Act. Too bad. Imagine the games we could play, like bend grandma over for the TSA agent. I remember fondly those days when people defected to America, instead of away from America. But times have changed. They sure have. I wonder if our founding fathers would have accepted zero interest rate policy so someone else could get a knew stage coach with no money down and lower interest than a true, free market would bear. Treason is a funny thing. They have even admitted not reading the laws they pass. Probably because they know they have enough lawyers, know how to circumvent every law imaginable. Wage laws, no problem, we will build it in China. Immigration laws, nah, we won't enforce them. Instead we read about laws cherry picked to attack political enemies like some third world hole in the wall. "

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